[Senate Report 119-62]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 150
119th Congress} { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 119-62
======================================================================
COMPREHENSIVE NASA REPORTING ACT OF 2025
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 1081
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
September 8, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred nineteenth congress
first session
TED CRUZ, Texas, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
JERRY MORAN, Kansas EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
TODD YOUNG, Indiana TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
TED BUDD, North Carolina JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
JOHN CURTIS, Utah JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado
BERNIE MORENO, Ohio JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
TIM SHEEHY, Montana ANDY KIM, New Jersey
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
Brad Grantz, Majority Staff Director
Lila Harper Helms, Democratic Staff Director
Calendar No. 150
119th Congress} { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 119-62
======================================================================
COMPREHENSIVE NASA REPORTING ACT OF 2025
_______
September 8, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Cruz, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1081]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill (S. 1081) to require the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration to submit certain reports to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives, and for other purposes, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends
that the bill, as amended, do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL0
The purpose of S. 1081 is to require the Administrator of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to
submit certain reports to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.
BACKGROUND AND NEEDS
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
of the House of Representatives have jurisdiction over national
and civil space policy, including NASA, and as such require
information from multiple sources to develop policy. The goal
of S. 1081 is to ensure that NASA's authorizing committees
remain informed about the agency's spending plans and
reprogramming requests. Appropriators regularly apply
conditions on the use of appropriated funds--e.g., ``no more
than 20 percent of funds may be obligated or expended until the
Administrator submits to the Appropriations Committees a spend
plan detailing how the agency plans to procure XYZ asset''\1\--
reflecting broader policy considerations. Similarly, an
agency's reprogramming of money from one budget line to
another, which requires approval from the appropriations
committees, inevitably involves evaluating policy priorities.
An agency's direction or redirection of spending is highly
relevant to its authorizing committees' work, which define the
agency's policy objectives.\2\ Therefore, it is appropriate to
keep these authorizing committees informed about such choices.
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\1\James V. Saturno and Megan S. Lynch, ``The Appropriations
Process: A Brief Overview,'' Congressional Research Service, May 17,
2023, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47106.
\2\James V. Saturno, ``Authorizations and the Appropriations
Process,'' Congressional Research Service, May 16, 2023, https://
www.congress.gov/crs-product/R46497.
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Similarly, international agreements and nonbinding
instruments with foreign entities to which NASA is a party or
implementing agency should be submitted to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives once they are delivered to Congress. These
arrangements have policy implications and are within these
committees' purview.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS
S. 1081 would require the Administrator of NASA to submit
certain reports to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives not later
than 10 days after delivery to any other committee or office.
If the United States becomes a signatory to an
international agreement or nonbinding instrument concerning
activities in outer space involving NASA, S. 1081 would also
require the Administrator to submit a report containing a copy
of such agreement or instrument to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives not later than 15 days after the date
on which the United States becomes a signatory.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 1081, the Comprehensive NASA Reporting Act of 2025, was
introduced on March 14, 2025, by Senator Cruz (for himself and
Senator Duckworth) and was referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. On April
30, 2025, the Committee met in open Executive Session and, by
voice vote, ordered S. 1081 to be reported favorably with an
amendment.
118th Congress
Similar reporting language was included in H.R. 8958, NASA
Reauthorization Act of 2024, introduced on July 9, 2024, by
Representative Lucas (for himself and Representatives Lofgren,
Babin, and Sorensen) and was referred to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.
On July 10, 2024, that Committee met in open Executive Session
and, by a vote of 38-0, ordered H.R. 8958 to be reported
favorably with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute).
H.R. 8958 passed the House under suspension of the rules by a
recorded vote of 366-21 and 1 present on September 23, 2024.
A similar bill with identical reporting language, S. 5600,
NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2024, was introduced on
December 18, 2024, by Senator Cantwell (for herself and
Senators Cruz, Sinema, Schmitt, Lujan, and Wicker) and was
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
ESTIMATED COSTS
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
Summary of legislation: On April 30, 2025, the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ordered 17
bills to be reported. This document provides estimates for 3 of
those bills, specified below:
S. 606 would allow the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) to enter into an
agreement to reimburse the Town of Chincoteague,
Virginia, for relocating wells for drinking water from
NASA-administered property to the town.
S. 1081 would expand NASA's requirements for
reporting to the Congress.
S. 1437 would require NASA to establish a
program to collect and disseminate remote-sensing data
and to report to the Congress on that program.
Estimated Federal cost: The costs of the legislation fall
within budget function 250 (general science, space, and
technology).
Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that each
bill will be enacted near the end of fiscal year 2025 and that
the estimated amounts will be available each year. This cost
estimate does not include any effects of interactions among the
bills. If all three bills were combined and enacted as a single
piece of legislation, the effects could be different from the
sum of the separate estimates, although CBO expects that any
differences would be small.
S. 606, the Contaminated Wells Relocation Act, would
authorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to
enter into an agreement with the Town of Chincoteague,
Virginia, to reimburse the costs of removing and relocating
three wells for drinking water that are currently located on
property administered by NASA. The bill would require NASA to
submit the agreement to the Congress within 18 months of
enactment. Using information from the agency on the historical
cost for similar activities and adjusting for inflation, CBO
estimates that the agreement would cost $18 million over the
2025-2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds.
S. 1081, the Comprehensive NASA Reporting Act of 2025,
would require the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
to provide the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the House Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology with copies of any final reports or notifications
that it submits to any other Congressional committee or office
within 10 days of the original submission. The bill also would
require NASA to provide to the Congress a copy of any
international agreement involving outer space activities within
15 days of the United States becoming a signatory to that
agreement. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO
estimates that implementing the bill's reporting requirements
would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Any
related spending would be subject to the availability of
appropriated funds.
S. 1437, the ASCEND Act, would codify the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration's Commercial SmallSat Data
Acquisition pilot program, which identifies commercial sources
for acquiring remote-sensing data and imagery of the Earth.
Data collected would be disseminated internally, to other
federal agencies, and to researchers. The bill would require
NASA to report to the Congress within 180 days of enactment and
annually thereafter on all agreements established under the
program. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates
that implementing the bill's reporting requirements would cost
less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Any related
spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated
funds.
Pay-As-You-Go considerations: The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go
Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement
procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or
revenues. None of the bills would affect direct spending or
revenues; thus, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
Increase in long-term net direct spending and deficits: CBO
estimates that enacting S. 606, S. 1081, and S. 1437 would not
increase net direct spending or deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.
Mandates: None of the bills contain intergovernmental or
private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act.
Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Willow Latham-Proenca;
Mandates: Brandon Lever.
Estimate reviewed by: Ann E. Futrell, Chief, Natural and
Physical Resources Cost Estimates Unit; Kathleen FitzGerald,
Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit; H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Estimate approved by: Phillip L. Swagel, Director,
Congressional Budget Office.
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT
In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the
legislation, as reported:
Number of Persons Covered
S. 1081 would not create any new programs or impose any new
regulatory requirements and would not subject any individuals
or businesses to new regulations.
Economic Impact
S. 1081 is not expected to have an adverse impact on the
Nation's economy.
Privacy
S. 1081 would not impact the personal privacy of
individuals.
Paperwork
The Committee does not anticipate any measurable paperwork
burdens. S. 1081 would require the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration to submit certain
reports that have already been drafted to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives.
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING
In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no
provisions contained in the bill, as reported, meet the
definition of congressionally directed spending items under the
rule.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title.
This section would provide that the bill may be cited as
the ``Comprehensive NASA Reporting Act of 2025''.
Section 2. Definitions.
This section would define the terms used in the bill:
``Administrator'' and ``NASA''.
Section 2. Reports to Congress.
This section would require NASA to submit any final report
or notification required by law that is provided to Congress to
be provided to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives not later
than 10 days after its delivery to any other committee or
office. It would require any nonpublic reports, including
privileged reports and reprogramming requests, to be treated as
confidential committee documents.
This section would further require the NASA Administrator
to submit any international agreement or nonbinding instrument
concerning activities in outer space involving NASA, to which
the United States is a signatory, to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives no later than 15 days after the
signing date.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the
bill as reported would make no change to existing law.
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